PERSONA 6: VERGS (Prologue)
by Assininesyndrome
Summary: No one really knows much about the Shadow Market. Whether its a secret organization or hidden society, the world continues to prosper from it. Every now and then, this organization supplies money and good to the worlds economy, fulfilling the needs of the people. But no even knows where the money and goods come from. What exactly is this mysterious organization?


A long time ago, the world was faced with a crippling depression. Food was scarce, and items were priced to a point of no profit. As companies went bankrupt and stocks were reduced to nothing but pennies, the leaders of the country held a meeting to discuss how to solve this terrible loss of revenue.

While the countries tried their best to keep their ties together, they eventually fought to secure materials for themselves. First it began with a dispute over who would control the Pacific and Atlantic ocean, then a war between the countries who claimed to be more superior than others. In the end, people fought to keep the world for themselves. Guns, swords, bombs, food, water, everything was either kept or used to accumulate even more things. They called it the Great Collapse.

There was no longer any social division amongst classes. It became a primitive way of life, where only the strong and fit survived. People who begged the rich, were no longer in a world of sympathy. They were killed, and would be used as materials to make inhuman objects. A skull would be used as decoy grenades. Meat would be used to attract animals to other groups of people. When eaten by the animals, more people would claim what was left behind. Bones were used as swords, to battle against the thieves that would steal.

One day, an unnatural looking man was wandering around the barren wasteland. He was tall, had a long nose, and grin that would have surprised even the devil. A woman with short blond hair, wearing a blue dress, also followed him. "Oh how terrible...look at this place," she stated. As the man and woman look around, they find a group of people wandering the wasteland. As the people see this unnaturally looking man, they begin to attack. One man throws a grenade, others fire their firearms. Secretly, a woman tries to attack the short blond haired woman in blue. With one raise of the woman's finger, everyone freezes instantly. Even the grenade's explosion was stopped in midair.

"It seems these people are extremely defensive. Like a common creature who has entered a wolf's territory. They must strike to defend what is theirs. How tragic".

As the unnatural looking man finishes he goes up to the woman who was performing the sneak attack. With one lift of his finger, the girl is able to talk. However she still cannot move.

"How about a deal, human?" asks the odd looking man. "I will turn your ragged looking world into something proper, a world where anything can be achievable. Where every consequence shall be a reward."

The girl is shocked, as she spouts that the man is speaking nonsense. The power to change the world? Was he a God or something?

"I wouldn't say a God, but more of a….hmmm how do you say this….ah yes, a gambler."

The girl questions what the man means, as his face begins to brighten up with pleasure.

"You see the world before you was caused by the rich who refused to pay for their mischievous actions, and the poor who sucked on the milk the earth provided until there was nothing left. And now there is nothing but war and chaos. But this can all change."

The girl is still confused. She questions again what he means.

"Well how about we play a little game. A game of sacrifice."

The man picks an unusual looking apple in his pocket, and shows it to the girl.

"If you eat this apple, you will lose your life, but in your absence, a whole new world will be made. This world will be engineered to prevent the events that led to this world's demise from ever happening again. But if you refuse, you will lose your life for nothing, fighting pointless battles that will support you for only a day or two, where the only significant part of your death will be the bones they will pick apart from you to use."

Upon assessing the game, the girl askes why she was chosen to make such an important decision.

"Well I told didn't I. I'm a gambler. A person that has stepped into the realms of the unknown, with events leading to the unknown. I want a world where every consequence shall be a reward. A place where even your future can be offered as a sacrifice. So young girl, will you offer your future, to change the world's?"

Minutes pass by, hours pass by. The girl finally decides. Instead of choosing one, she instead makes her own. She states that if the world indeed is reborn, after her sacrifice, she would like to live in it as well.

"Ah, but what else would you offer? For every choice leads to a sacrifice that must be given."

The girl was struck with fear. What else could she offer. She had nothing else but her life. She lived through so much. She grew up poor and in the end, ended up even poorer. All she had left were here memories. And so she told the odd looking man, that she would offer him just that, her memories.

"Your memories?"

The man's nose went up and a laugh came out as he looked to the sky.

"Of course, your memories. Your memories of your childhood, your memories of your actions, the memories of who you are. But most importantly, the memories of today."

The man smiles.

"Splendid! Simple splendid! You truly are a good gamble. But my decree still stands. The apple must be eaten."

He holds out the apple to the girl. The girl looks at the apple intensely, knowing the decision that she is about to make. With one bite, her body shatters like glass. The earth rumbles and cracks. Volcanic eruptions surround the world. Rocks cave in smashing people together like taffy. The woman in the blue dress puts a force field around the odd-looking man, floating up in the sky to avoid any contact with earth's destruction.

"Finally, a world reborn. The first sacrifice."

The odd-looking man holds a sphere up in the sky, as he says the girl's name. "Eve, what a beautiful name".

Centuries later inn the far out future, the world is back and better than ever in its technological advancements. Goods and money are continuously supplied in the world but no one knows how. Many people have heard rumors of a secret organization called VERGS. Some claim it to be a gambling service among the elites. Many stories have also been brought up where powerful leaders have used VERGS to promote their own countries. While others have simply used it for their own gain, no one really knows much about VERGS. The people in the organization either keep their mouth closed or are forced to keep quiet about their affiliation.

Because of this, people don't really know where all these mysterious goods and large portions of money are coming from. In the end VERGS has remained a myth at best.

The only way to get accepted into VERGS is if a strange man comes and gives you an invitation card. The man claims to be an assistant at VERGS, and will explain how the whole system works and what you will be doing once you are in. But before you even get in and you accept, he will proceed to ask you a very simple question.

"What will you gamble?". They say that those who answer nothing, are not found the next day.


End file.
